Pneumatic signal device for elevators



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I s. B. OPDYKE Jr. PNEUMATIC SIGNAL DEVIOE FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 548,722. Patented 9st. 29, 1895.

W itnesses.

ay/Ja WWW Attbrney.

ANDREW B.GflAHAM.FHDTO-UTNO.WASHINGTON.DC.

(No Mqdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

S .B.OPDYKE,J'r.- PNEUMATIC SIGNAL DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS. No. 548,722. Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

, WW -a Y m Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STACY B. OPDYKE, J R., OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATIC'SIGNAL DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,722, dated October 29, 1895.

Application filed January 30, 1 895.

T aZZ whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, STACY B. OPVDYKE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Signal Devices for Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partof this specification.

My invention has for its object the production of a pneumatic device for usewith elevators, whereby the passenger at any floor where a series of elevators is used may set a signal controlled by air which will indicate to the conductor of the first approaching elevator slightly before it reaches the floor that the passenger wishes the said car to stop, there being two sets of devices, either one of which is used, dependent upon whether the passenger desires to ascend or descend.

I will first describe my invention as illustrated in the drawings, and then particularly pointout the same in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of two elevator-shafts and three floors. Fig 2 is a section on line in 'n of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on line to w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a vertical longitudinal section of the valve. Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 2 in modified form. Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line w m, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line up, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is adetail view of the signal in the car.

A is the elevator-shaft.

B B are elevator-cars, two being shown; C, the lifting-cable, which passes around sheave C at the top. Connected to this sheave by means of a pitman c is the piston of a pump D, by means of which air is compressed in the movement of the elevators in either direction, and E is a reservoir for said air. Connected to said reservoir is the main pipe E.

At each floor are two valve mechanisms N, one to be used for ascending and the other for descending. These valve mechanisms consist, essentially, of a piston G, the cylinder G, in which said piston moves, and the ports 9 and g, port 9 leading or connecting with the pipe E, and the port g, which connects with the pipe H if it be the ascending elevator,

there being a pipe connecting the two ports 9 Serial No. 536,640. (No model.)

and g; but which connection is normally closed by the piston G.

There are of course two valve mechanisms for each floor, and there would be a pipe H for each floor corresponding to one valve mechan ism and the pipe H corresponding to the other valve mechanism. So, for the sake of clearness, I will denote the pipes as H H H for the three floors for the ascending signal and the pipes H H H for the descending signal. These pipes H, H, H H H and H pass up to the top of the shaft and connect with ports J, J, J J J and J the ports J J 2 J 4 being in alignment with each other, and the ports J J J being also in alignment with each other, but out of alignment with the ports J J J These ports are in the box hot the screw it. Upon this screw K is the nut L, which has the port Z, connected by a flexible hose j with a signal j in the corresponding car. This signal may be an ordinary whistle, as shown in detail, Fig. 9. This nut is given a movement relative to the movement of the car by the screw-shaft K being rotated by the shaft of sheave C. The port Z is adapted to register with either the ports J J J or J, J", and J 5 and is caused to register with the ports J J J in the movement of the nut in one direction (when the car is ascending) and with ,the ports J, J and J when it is moving in the other direction (car descending) by the following means: The casing is is cut away at the lower portion, (see Figs. 2 and 5,) and to the lower portion of the nut is connected the bolt M, the head of which projects beyond the nut. The first movement of the car ascending or descending causes the nut L to turn with the screw to the right or left, dependent upon whether the car is ascending or descending, bringing the port Z-in position to register with ports J J J or J J J which occurs when the lug strikes the wall of casing lo, and then the nut travels upon the screw K, and if the car be ascending the port l comes successively opposite the ports J, J and J 4 and if descending comes successively opposite the ports J J 3 J There being a screw K and appurtenant devices for each elevator-car and the pipes H, H, H H H and H connecting with corresponding ports J J J J J J of each device, therefore when the passenger operates at any floor the ascending or descending valve mechanism the first car ascending or descending, depending upon which corresponding valve mechanism is operated, will receive a signal shortly before reaching that floor, the ports J J J J J J being placed at such position that in the travel of the nut L its port Z will register with said ports, whether the car be ascending or descending, shortly before the car reaches the floor corresponding to said port.

In place of having the ports J J J J J J registering with a port Zin the nut L, I can, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, provide the pipes H H H H H H each with a springvalve 0, in which 0 is a piston, which normally closes the ports 0 0 by means of the spring 0 This valve 0 controls the connection between the pipes H H H and a pipe M and between the pipes H H H and pipe M, and the pipes M and M connect togetherin a pipe M which leads to the hose j, connecting with signal 7" in the car. The spring normally acts to hold the valve 0 closed, thus preventing connection between pipes H, H, H H H and H and their corresponding pipes M and M, the nut L in this case having, as described before, a limited movement with the shaft at the beginning of the rotation of the shaft K in either direction, but has instead of a port a projection Z, which in this movement in one direction is brought in alignment with the valvestems of the valves controlling pipes H H 11 and in the other direction with the valves controlling pipes H H H so that when the valve mechanism corresponding to the pipe at the floor is operated and the projection Z strikes.

the controlling-valve corresponding to that pipe connection is made between that pipe and the corresponding pipe M or M and a signal is given in the car.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each fioor, a valve mechanism for each floor connecting said main pipe and said pipe corresponding to said floor, ports corresponding to said floors, each port being connected with its corresponding floor pipe, adevice having a port given a movement relative to the movement'of the car, the port of said device being adapted to register in its movement successively with the ports corresponding to the doors, a signal,and connection between the signal and port of said device.

2. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, two valve mechanisms for each floor, one mechanism making connection with the main pipe and one of said pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, and the other making connection with the main pipe and the other of said pair of sieves floor pipes, a series of ports corresponding to one set of the pairs of floor pipes for each floor, each of said ports being connected to its corresponding floor pipe, a series of ports corresponding to the other of the set of the pairs of floor pipes for each fioor,each of said ports being connected to its corresponding floor pipe, a device having a port and given a movement relative to the movement of the car, the port of said device being adapted in its movement in one direction to register with one series of ports, and in the other direction with the other series of ports, a signal, and connection between the port of said device I and the signal.

3. In combination with a series of elevator cars, a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each floor, a valve mechanism for each floor connecting said main pipe and said pipe corresponding to the floor, ports corresponding to each floor for each elevator, each floor pipe being connected with the corresponding port of each of the elevators, a device, provided with a port, for each elevator, each device moving relative to its corresponding car, and the port of each device being adapted in its movement to register with its elevator ports corresponding to the floor pipes, a signal for each elevator and connect-ion between the port of each device and its corresponding signal.

4. The combination with'a series of elevator cars, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pair of floor pipes corresponding to each floor, two valve mechanisms for each floor, one mechanism making connection with the main pipe and one of said pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, and the other with the main pipe and the other of said pair of pipes corresponding to the floor, two sets of series of ports for each elevator, one set of the pair of floor pipes being connected with its corresponding ports, of one series of ports, and the other set of the pair of floor pipes being connected with its corresponding ports of the other set of series of ports, a device, having a port, for each elevator, and adapted to have a movement relative to its corresponding car, and adapted in its movement in one direction to register successively with one set of ports corresponding to its elevator and in the other direction with the other set of ports corresponding to its elevator, a signal for each elevator, and connection between the port of each device and its corresponding signal.

5. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each floor, a valve mechanism for each floor connecting said main pipe andsaid pipe corresponding to said floor, ports corresponding to said floor-s, each port being connected with its corresponding floor pipe, a threaded shaft rotated in the movement of the car, a nut upon said shaft, said nut being provided with a port, the port of said device being adapted to register in its move- IIO ment successively with the ports corresponding to the floors, a signal, and connection between the signal and the port of device.

6. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pair of pipes corresponding to each fioor, two valve mechanisms for each floor, one mechanism making connection with the main pipe and one of said pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, and the other making connection with the main pipe and the other of said pair of floor pipes, a series of ports corresponding to one set of the pairs of floor pipes for each floor, each of said ports being connected with its corresponding floor pipe, a series of ports corresponding to the other of the set of pairs of floor pipes for each floor, each of said ports being connected with its corresponding floor pipe, a threaded shaft rotated in the movement of the car, a nut provided with a port upon said shaft, means to allow said nut to have a limited movement with said shaft in its initial movement in either direction whereby, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the shaft, the port is brought in alignment with one or the other set of ports corresponding to the floors, and adapted in the further movement of the shaft to register successively with the ports with which it is brought into alignment, a signal, and connection between the port of device and the signal;

7. In combination with a series of elevator cars, a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each floor, valve mechanism for each floor connecting the main pipe and said pipe corresponding to the floor, ports corresponding to each floor for each elevator, each floor pipe being connected with the corresponding port of each of the elevators, a threaded shaft for each elevator rotated in the movement of its corresponding car, a nut provided with a port for each shaft, the port of each nut being adapted in the movement of the nut to register with its elevator ports corresponding to the floor pipes, a signal for each elevator, and connection between the port of each device and its corresponding signal.

8. The combination with a series of elevator cars, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, two valve mechanisms for each floor, one mechanism making connection with the main pipe and one of said pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, the other between the main pipe and the other of said pair of pipes, two sets of series of ports for each elevator, one set of of the nut with its shaft in its initial move- 1 ment in either direction whereby, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the shaft, the port of its corresponding nut is brought in alignment with one or the other set of its corresponding floor ports and is adapted to register successively with said ports in the further rotation of said shaft, a signal for each elevator, and connection between the port of each nut and its corresponding signal.

9. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each floor, a valve mechanism for each floor connecting said main pipe and said pipe corresponding to said floor, a signal, and connection between the floor pipe and the signal.

10. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pipe corresponding to each floor, a valve mechanism for each floor connecting said main pipe and said pipe corresponding to said floor, a signal, a device given a movement relative to the movement of the car and adapted in its movement to cause connection to be made successively between the floor pipes and signal.

11. The combination with an elevator car, of a main pipe adapted to receive air, a pair of floor pipes corresponding to each floor, two valve mechanisms for each floor, one mechanism making connection with the main pipe and one of said pair of pipes corresponding to each floor, and the other making connection with the main pipe and the other of said pair of floor pipes, a signal, a device given a movement relative to the movement of the car and adapted in its movement in one direction to cause necessary connection to be made successively between one set of floor pipes and the signal, and in the other direction successively between the other set of floor pipes and the signal.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

STACY n. OPDYKE, JR.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. BUSSER, M. FRANCES ELLIS. 

